A cross-section of new and favorite works for wind ensemble.

Let's take a look at the unfamiliar music contained on this disc. About Tears David Maslanka writes: "Tears is about inner transformation, and about groping towards the voice of praise. As St. Francis and St. Ignatius have it, the proper function of the human race is to sing praise. Tears is about inner breaking, and coming to terms with the pain that hinders the voice of praise; Tears is about the movement toward the heart of love." This is a recent piece from Mr. Maslanka's pen. Dana Wilson completed his Dance of the New World the same month - 500 years later - than Columbus first landed in the New World. He wanted in this piece to pay tribute to the blending of styles and attitudes that has taken place in the Latin American region of this hemisphere where Columbus first landed. Frank Ticheli's Postcard was first performed by the University of Michigan Symphony Band on April 17, 1992. Mr. Ticheli is a graduate of the University of Michigan and now teaches at the University of Southern California where he is Assistant Professor of Music. He is also composer-in-residence with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.

Review:

"Malcom W. Rowell Jr. and his charges at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst seem to have a special affinity for the works of David Maslanka. Their recording of his Tears follows an all-Maslanka disc (A Child's Garden of Dreams and Symphony No. 2) that they released in 1996.Despite its title, Tears is not a work steeped in melancholy or nostalgia. Although one might expect it to be a ballad, it doesn't even simmer down until about three-fourths of the way through its fourteen-minute duration. It is equally hard-edged and majestic, a powerful piece that commands the listener's attention even as it fades away toward a whispered finale. In sum, Rowell and his musicians have assembled a well-performed program." (American Record Guide)